asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what timetable ae plans for discussions in Wales of the recommendations of the Central Health Services Council Report on hospitals;(2) what plans he has for initiating discussions with interested parties on the implications for Wales of the recommendations in the Central Health Services Council Report on hospitals.

Comments on the report are being sought from the national associations, including the Association of Welsh Executive Councils, and from Welsh local health authorities by the end of the year and from the Welsh Hospital Board by 15th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many arts centres have now been established; and what assistance they have received from the Arts Council.

At least 150 arts centres exist or are planned. This figure is almost certainly an under-estimate. The Arts Council has either made or promised capital grants totalling about £120,000 to 34 arts centres.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action he is taking regarding priority housing authorities who are failing to maintain and increase their building programmes.

My policy continues to be to ensure that the priority areas build to their maximum capacity. I have written to the authorities for the 20 areas listed below which, on present evidence, have reduced their programmes. My hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary will be holding discussions with these authorities. Letters are also being sent to all other priority authorities to ask them to give me their latest estimate of the number of dwellings for which they expect to let contracts in 1969 and 1970. In my view it is necessary for authorities in areas of greatest housing need to mount the biggest housebuilding programmes of which they are capable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will hold a public inquiry into the cost to the ratepayers of the Burgh of Hamilton involved in expenditure to cure defects in a housing estate which are due to faults of building, of design, or choice of materials and into the position of the tenants of this estate

I am not aware of any circumstances which would justify such an inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Tenants Association of the Neilsland Estate Phase II, Hamilton, about the failure in the underfloor heating and other faults in the houses and flats forming the estate; and what reply he has sent.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy regarding the draft Orders in Council giving effect to the recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

I shall advise the House not to approve the Order.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his plans for encouraging voluntary service by young people in Scotland.

I assist various bodies which promote voluntary service, including International Voluntary Service, Community Service Volunteers and Enterprise Youth, and in the present financial year I expect to make grants towards the current expenditure of these three bodies amounting to over £9,000. In addition I have given a grant of £200 to Enterprise Youth towards the cost of equipping the premises in Edinburgh which it shares with I.V.S., C.S.V. and Interscot and which now form the main headquarters of the voluntary service movement in Scotland.I have today sent a circular to education authorities, local authorities and national voluntary youth organisations indicating the lines on which I hope voluntary service will develop in Scotland and asking the authorities to support voluntary service groups in their areas and to consider how they could provide further opportunities for young people to serve the community. I shall also be sending a circular on similar lines to hospital authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has completed his review of the constitution and functions of the General Teaching Council; and if he will make a statement.

A memorandum setting out my proposals is being sent today to the bodies that I asked to submit evidence on the matter; and I am inviting them to send representatives to meet me in Edinburgh on 5th December to discuss the proposals. Copies of the memorandum are being placed in the Library and are being put on sale by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give estimates of the changes in the population of Scotland during 1968–69; and how the figures compare with those for 1967–68.

The Registrar General estimates that the net migration loss from Scotland fell from 33,000 in 1967–68 to 25,000 in 1968–69, the loss to other United Kingdom countries having fallen from 13,000 to 11,000 and the loss to overseas countries having fallen from 20,000 to 14,000. The total net loss by migration of 25,000 is the lowest since 1958–59. The population of Scotland at 30th June, 1969 is estimated to be 5,194,700, an increase of 7,200; this is the highest population increase since 1962–63.